Rubber processing with gas-assisted injection moulding (R-GAIM)

Gas-assisted injection moulding (GAIM) provides a means to manufacture holl ow blown elastomer parts in one step, saving production costs. Moreover, GA IM offers interesting prospects for new product developments. The possibili ty of integrating GAIM into processing plants is attractive to the processo r, who is increasingly becoming a supplier of modules and system solutions, and is looking for ways to stay economically competitive. At the IKV it wa s proven in initial experiments that the manufacturing of rubber parts made of LSR and EPDM with II functional hollows is possible. Further studies in volve the determination of the basic requirements for the mould design, the refinement of the process control, different GAIM variants and border rest rictions of the process as well as the necessary material characteristics. [GRAPHICS]